Russian presidential aide Kirill Dmitriev said countries of the Global South, led by China, are becoming the main engine of global economic growth and are helping shape a new model of international co-operation.

Dmitriev made the remarks during a lecture at Tsinghua University in Beijing on Tuesday.

"We see the Global South with China and other nations emerging as the largest and most important engine of growth of the world economy. So you know, lots of initiatives coming out of China to connect different nations, to build a spiritual partnership, to really leverage technology for the better of humankind," he said.

Dmitriev also said some Western countries were unwilling to accept changes in the global order, which he argued was contributing to international tensions.

"You see some nations clinging to the past, unwilling to accept this new world order and unwilling to give up the structures they use to protect their position. So there is this tension between the Global South and some Western nations over how we see the world," he explained.

He added that Russian-Chinese co-operation was based not only on the complementary nature of the two economies, but also on the potential for joint technological development.

Dmitriev highlighted artificial intelligence as one possible area of collaboration, saying Russia had a competitive advantage because of its affordable energy resources.

He also did not rule out the emergence of major joint ventures between Russia and China that could compete globally and carry out large-scale international projects across different sectors.